Creative Directing
I’m a creative leader, big idea generator, agency-wide collaborator and colourful presenter. I love turning complicated problems into simple, bold, effective ideas that get talked about from boardroom to bar stool. I’ve created campaigns for everything from mustard to motorbikes. I’ve worked with many charities. And I've lots of experience building brands across channels and markets for complex organisations across government, finance, pro services, law, fintech, real estate, security and education.
Copywriting
I love copywriters. I’ve never met one worth their salt who isn’t intelligent, inquisitive and just that little bit odd. And I’m thankful that I can count myself among their number. Copywriting is a craft. Many people think they can write. But very, very few can do it well. Here’s a shopping list of the kinds of writing I like to do: ads, social, TV, video and radio scripts, SEO and websites, brand and TOV guidelines, DM, manifestos, articles, company, product and service naming, plus crafting pitches, strategy decks and creative briefs.
Some highlights (so far)
Winning a chunk of NatWest and helping the agency landgrab new business from different departments of the Group.
Helping a small, independent agency win its first truly global account against big networked agencies, like Giro and Havas.
50+% pitch win rate over a 3-year period.
90% rise in calls and texts to British Transport Police thanks to the ‘See it. Say it. Sorted.’ campaign.
Helping to launch a revolutionary new responsible investment platform that aims to eradicate financial exclusion.
Seeing asset managers Pictet and Robeco rise up the rankings of the respected Fund Brand Top 50 survey to occupy positions #3 and 7# respectively, despite much smaller marketing budgets compared to behemoths like Blackrock and J.P. Morgan.
Helping the Poppy Appeal achieve record-breaking donations every year for 5 years, and writing the Royal British Legion’s long-lived mission line ‘Shoulder to shoulder with all who serve.’
Scripting a 15 minute mini-feature film for the launch of an online mortgage broker. It was premiered at the Odeon in Leicester Square.
Using the threat of being beaten-up by pensioners to sell annuities to IFAs.
Persuading City AM to change their front cover, missing out type and images, to promote Lyxor ETFs and the launch of their ‘There’s something missing in the UK’.
Successfully raising awareness of why it’s good to locate your business on Slough Trading Estate, and improving search so that the first result people saw was the Estate website rather than Slough-based sitcom The Office.
Walking arm-in-arm with icon David Bailey through La Rochelle after wrapping a Scottish Widows TV ad.
Posting the slowest time round Brands Hatch while testing a Formula First racing car for a campaign.
Where I’ve been
Teamspirit/VCCP Business Creative Director (Copy): 2022 -2025
Teamspirit is the financial and B2B arm of VCCP, one of the world’s most successful global agencies. I was brought in as a collaborator between creative and the planning and public relations parts of Teamspirit. Doing what most other agencies don’t, getting creative thinking upstream into the very start of projects, resulting in bigger, more flexible and more enduring ideas. Alongside that I was creative lead across multiple accounts. And alongside that, I did a whole lot of pure copywriting - ads, websites, video, radio, content, social, even the occasional DM pack. Clients included Bupa, Simplyhealth, Tesco Bank, Barclays, Fidelity, Janus Henderson, M&G Wealth, Smart Money People, Royal London and Vitality. I also took the role of mentor to various rising stars in the agency.
Arthur London Creative Director: 2020 -2022
A small agency with a big reputation in the charity sector. Plus a few finance clients (including the beast that is M&G) and a desire to grow that side of the business. In my first year, we won the Corporate & Institutions business for NatWest. That got the attention of other parts of the Group, including their youth programme and a hook-up with Marcus Rashford. For M&G it was a case of pushing their brand forward across regions, asset classes and audiences. Other financial clients included Vontobel, Carmignac, Pay.UK and RedCloud. I was keen to extend beyond FS and we won the services company Amey - everything from utilities infrastructure to military housing. Plus, with my cause-led experience, I was able to help out with Centrepoint, Royal College of Surgeons and National Book Tokens.
AML Creative Director: 2013 - 2020
Heading up the multi-disciplinary creative team and working as a copywriter across the agency’s accounts. Over that last six years the agency has achieved year-on-year growth, above industry-average margins, global pitch wins and a cabinet full of awards. Clients include: Aberdeen Standard, AXA Investment Managers, Big Society Capital, BNP Paribas, Canada Life, Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure, Charles Russell Speechlys, City of London Police, Confederation of British Industry, Department for Transport, Financial Services Forum, Grant Thornton, Isle of Man Government, Just, Liberal Democrats, Nomura, Pearn Kandola, Pearson (advertising BTECs), Pictet, Robeco, Russell Investments, Simmonds & Simmonds, Simplified Money, UBS and Vanguard. I judge for the Midas Global Advertising Awards and have mentored students at the London College of Communication.
CST The Gate/The Gate Head of Copy: 2009 - 2013 (Senior Copywriter 2006 - 2009)
Lead copywriter for advertising luminary Dave Trott. Clients include:: Aviva Health, Aviva Investors, Boots, Diabetes UK, Douwe Egberts, F&C, Franklin Templeton, Friends Life, Grey Poupon mustard, Isle of Man Business Development, Lebara Mobile, Leeds Building Society, National Savings & Investments, Norwich & Peterborough Building Society, Old Mutual, RBS, Royal British Legion, Your Money magazine.
Citigate Albert Frank Senior Copywriter: 2000 - 2006
Allied Irish Bank, Arthritis Care, Edeus Mortgages, E*Trade, Friends Provident, Huntswood Outsourcing, Independent Financial Adviser Promotions, Investec, JPMorgan, Lyxor Asset Management, Nationwide, Prudential, PWC, Reuters, Scope, Slough Trading Estate, Snappy Snaps, Societe Generale, Sue Ryder Care, The Elizabeth Finn Trust, Welsh Development Agency.
Dewe Rogerson Copywriter: 1998 - 2000
Aberdeen, Barclays, Independent Financial Adviser Promotions, National Grid Group, Prudential, Punch Taverns, Scottish Widows.
Davies Little Cowley Junior Copywriter: 1997 - 1998
Airways, Brands Hatch, Linguaphone, Meat & Livestock Commission, Scandinavian Seaways, Thorpe Park.
Mustoe Merriman Herring Levy Trainee Copywriter: 1996 - 1997
Wedgwood.
When I’m not working
Rugby Coach
For the fab juniors at Amersham & Chiltern Rugby Club.
Cineaste
Death by Chilli Sauce: The Remarkable Truth and Surprising Science Behind 101 Memorable Movie Moments is my book about films. Off the back of it, I reviewed films on BBC Three Counties Radio.
Geocacher
Half orienteering, half treasure-hunting, it’s my guilty (and secret until now) pleasure.